Psoriasis treatment: Including this food in your diet may help relieve the skin condition

From express.co.uk

PSORIASIS is a condition that affects the skin, causing red, flaky and crusty patches of skin and can prove very irritating. But what can you do to treat it? Including a certain food in your diet could help.

Psoriasis often heavily impacts a sufferer’s everyday live. It tends to appear on the elbows, knees and scalp, but any part of the body can be affected. Many sufferers will have tried multiple topical and systemic treatments to tackle the condition to get some relief from their symptoms.
But it can be hard and time consuming to find the right creams and formulas to work, as every case is different.

There is unfortunately no cure for psoriasis although there are several effective medical treatment options, and symptoms may also be improved by understanding specific triggers.

Dr. Daniel Glass of The Dermatology Clinic London, shares his tips on how to help naturally reduce the severity of this condition with Express.co.uk, one of which is to include oily fish in your diet.
Dr Glass explained: “One of the most frequently asked questions by patients with psoriasis is whether dietary changes can improve their condition. Although there are a limited number of controlled trials that address this question, there are some emerging trends which show some promise for psoriasis sufferers.

                                                                       (Image: GETTY)

“A survey of 1206 patients with psoriasis in 2017 showed 40 percent reported modifying their diets to try to help their psoriasis. Although no single diet was adhered to by all patients the most common diets tried included gluten free diet, a palaeolithic diet, low carbohydrate/high protein diet, a Mediterranean diet and a vegetarian diet.

“Those with psoriasis consumed statistically significant lower amounts of sugar, whole grain fibre, dairy products, and calcium (P<.001). Patient diets also included significantly more fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

“Certain foods stood out as more frequently reported to affect symptoms, particularly fish oil, fruits, vegetables, and water, which were all reported by at least 10 percent of people to positively affect their psoriasis. Reductions in consumption of alcohol, gluten, nightshades, and junk foods were associated with skin improvements in at least 50 percent of patients. 

“Consider increasing the amount of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and other fish rich in omega 3 into your diet, as well as supplementing with an omega 3 capsule.  Vitamin D has also been shown to improve symptoms in some psoriasis sufferers and is one of the key ingredients of a topical cream I often prescribe to my patients.”

Dr Glass added people with psoriasis have an increased risk of also having coeliac disease and even if not diagnosed with coeliac have increased levels of anti-gliadin antibodies which is found in coeliac disease.

He advised: “Avoidance of gluten can be beneficial in a proportion of patients with psoriasis. In fact, one study of psoriasis patients who were tested positive for antigliadin antibodies found that the majority (82 percent) experienced a decrease in antibody levels and affected skin area after following a gluten-free diet.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1226115/psoriasis-treatment-diet-oily-fish-omega-3